Airtight and IC-rated recessed light housing

Abstract

An IC-rated airtight luminaire including a housing divided on a vertical plane to form two housing portions releasably coupled to one another to form an open cylindrical lower portion, a heat sink upper housing portion, and a heat conducting lamp assembly adjustment track enclosed within the housing. Disposed within the housing are heat sink walls slidably capturing a slide portion of a lamp assembly. A lamp holder integral with the slide bar includes a lens that directs a beam of light through an opening in a ceiling substrate in which the housing is installed, and an expansion ring rotatingly disposed around the open cylindrical lower portion of the housing engages and secures the housing in a ceiling substrate while also permitting the housing to freely turn within the expansion ring so as to allow adjustment of a beam of light directed from the lamp assembly.

What is claimed as invention is: 
     
       1. An IC-rated airtight luminaire, comprising:
 a housing divided on a vertical plane to form a first housing portion and a second housing portion, said first and second housing portions releasably coupled to one another to form an open cylindrical lower portion, a heat sink upper housing portion, and a heat conducting lamp assembly adjustment track enclosed within said housing and including first and second planar heat sink walls disposed in said first and second housing portions, respectively; 
 a lamp assembly slidably coupled to said lamp assembly adjustment track, said lamp assembly including a heat conducting slide bar slidably captured between said first and second planar heat sink walls, a lamp holder, and a lens which directs a beam of light through an opening in a wall or ceiling substrate in which said housing is installed; and 
 an expansion ring rotatingly disposed around said open cylindrical lower portion, wherein said expansion ring engages and secures said housing in a wall or ceiling substrate while also permitting said housing to freely turn within said expansion ring so as to allow adjustment of a beam of light directed from said lamp assembly. 
 
     
     
       2. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 1 , wherein said expansion ring enables 360 degrees of rotation of said housing when installed so as to provide 360 of rotation. 
     
     
       3. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 2 , wherein said expansion ring is retained in place with retainer clips that pass through apertures in said expansion ring. 
     
     
       4. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 1 , wherein said lower housing portion includes a lower edge, a circumferential channel circumscribing said lower housing portion proximate said lower edge, and wherein said expansion ring fits around said channel. 
     
     
       5. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 4 , wherein said expansion ring includes a cylindrical collar portion having a plurality of spaced apart ports, and a laterally adjustable expansion clamp disposed in each of said ports. 
     
     
       6. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 5 , wherein said expansion clamps are arcuate bars having exterior surface features that provide engage a ceiling substrate surface. 
     
     
       7. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 6 , wherein each of said expansion clamps includes clamp adjustment apparatus to urge said clamp outwardly and into engagement with the ceiling substrate. 
     
     
       8. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 7 , wherein said clamp adjustment apparatus comprises upwardly angled wedge engaged by a setscrew disposed in a threaded hole, such that tightening said setscrew drives said expansion clamp outwardly and into the ceiling substrate. 
     
     
       9. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 8 , wherein said spaced apart ports include projections, and said expansion clamps include channels in which said projections slidingly fit, and further wherein the proper tracking of said expansion clamps as they move laterally within their respective spaced apart ports is ensured by said projections sliding within said channels in said expansion clamps. 
     
     
       10. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 1 , wherein said expansion ring includes a lower edge and spaced apart neodymium magnets set into holes disposed around said lower edge of said expansion ring. 
     
     
       11. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 1 , wherein said expansion ring includes an annular swivel ring rotatingly disposed on said expansion ring, such that while said expansion ring is retained in place on said lower portion of said housing, said housing swivels freely within said expansion ring, and further including set screws to lock said housing in place relative to said annular swivel ring. 
     
     
       12. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 11 , wherein said each of said planar heat sink walls include an arcuate groove and said slide bar includes a first slide pin on a first side of said slide bar and a second slide pin on a second side of said slide bar, said first and second slide pins slidingly disposed in one of said arcuate grooves, and a spring to urge said slide bar into engagement with one of said planar heat sink walls. 
     
     
       13. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 12 , wherein said slide bar and said planar heat sink walls are fabricated of materials having nearly identical thermal coefficients to facilitate and efficient conductive transfer of heat from said lamp assembly to said heat sink. 
     
     
       14. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 13 , wherein said slide bar moves through a range defined by said arcuate grooves into which said slide pins are disposed, wherein said light assembly may be moved to provide approximately 0-35 degrees of tilt. 
     
     
       15. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 14 , wherein said slide bar includes a primary heat conducting flat side and a contoured side including a cable stress relief channel to feed a power supply to a light in said lamp assembly. 
     
     
       16. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 1 , further including a conduit swivel pivotally but sealingly disposed in the center top of said housing, such that said housing freely rotates 360 degree under said conduit swivel, wherein rotation of said housing within said expansion ring combines with a tilting feature of said lamp assembly such that the degree of vertical tilt is provided over a rotational range of 360 degrees. 
     
     
       17. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 1 , further including a trim assembly having ferromagnetic features. 
     
     
       18. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 1 , wherein said housing rotates freely within a ceiling opening regardless of the ceiling thickness, and said lamp assembly may still be tilted through a full range of motion to adjust the direction of illumination without extending any portion of the lamp assembly below the plane of the ceiling or wall substrate and without any disruption to insulation material above the ceiling. 
     
     
       19. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 18 , wherein the center point of a beam of light directed from said lamp assembly never changes through the full range of tilt of said lamp assembly. 
     
     
       20. The IC-rated airtight luminaire of  claim 1 , further including a power assembly, including an LED driver enclosed in an inline junction box.